Phosphates test is very important in aquarium environment and here we want talk about Seachem phosphates Multitest (
qui potete leggere la recensione in italiano).
We talked during last weeks about ReefStatus Calcium and ReefStatus Magnesium tests and results were good. Today we focus on phosphates.
Phosphates Multitest Seachem
As you can see in the pics, test comes inside a small box containing the paper with all the explanations, the cardboard, a base with six empty hemispheres where put reagents, two bowls containing liquid reagents, a pipe, a plastic stick and a solution as reference for the test.
The scale test measures from a minimum of 0,05 mg/l up to a maximum of 3 mg/l. A scale of values good for marine aquariums and fresh water aquariums. Note that coral aquariums need low phosphate values, close to zero, lower than 0.1 to get a considerable growth. Or under 0.3 to avoid calcification problems because over that threshold can be difficult to most of corals.
The Seachem Phosphates Multitest manages, on the paper, to measure both limits, even if compared to other tests it is less accurate measuring the difference between 0,00 e 0,05.
The test is very easy. Except for the use of the pipe, instead of the syringe, and of the strange plate. It’s such a strange measurement method.
Top up the pipe with the aquarium water and put it on one of the six hemispheres of the plate.
Insert a drop of the reagent number 1 and two drops of reagent number 2. Then mix all with the small stick.
After some time, from 5 to 30 seconds, according to concentration of phosphates on the water to analyze (less time in case of low concentration and more time if concentration is higher), we compare the result with the rating scale.
Once we did the test, it is better washing the plate. If the plate should still have spots, it’s better clean it with bleach and then rinse it.
The Seachem Phosphate Multites revealed itself very easy, even if the use of the pipe instead of the syringe is weird. Looking at the required accuracy there ain’t any difference between them, but I am used to use the syringe and I prefer this one.
The plate utilization, though it adds something different among the variety of phosphates tests that seem all the same, makes the color comparison a bit hard and it is also because the reference cartonboard is unhandy, we would like to have a bigger cardboard with a reference scale easy to compare. In this case, indeed, the colored part of the cartonboard is very small.
As we have already seen by the two test ReefStatus review, even in the multitest we didn’t find a clear expiration date, even if the inclusion of a known concentration solution (phosphates and nitrates) can help in understanding the reliability of the test itself.
I want to remind that the tests, although they have a high number of measurements, should be used normally not more than 6 months from their first use, to prevent that the incorrect storage can offset the tests carried out, above this time is advisable to verify relevance of the measurements with the calibrated solution. We advise you to always use your eye to evaluate the aquarium, do not rely only to test, and if the tests detect a patently incorrect value, before making any countermeasure would be desirable to do it again with other brands believed to be reliable.
For example if you did not have growth in your aquarium, and maybe quite good colors, the probability that the phosphates in the aquarium are a bit too high it is very high indeed.
Accuracy and Conclusions on page two
